1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ear ornaments or decorations and more particularly to a novel decorative ear cuff which is totally supported on the ridges of the ear of the wearer.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been the conventional practice for women, and to a lesser extent men, to decorate their ears by employing a variety of earrings. One common type of earring requires a screw on the earring itself to be turned so as to bear against the ear lobe of the wearer until the earring is self-supporting from the ear lobe. Problems have been encountered with this type of earring inasmuch as the pressure exerted by the turned screw is somewhat painful and blood circulation to the ear in the vicinity of the earring is greatly impaired.
Another conventional method of decorating an ear resides in surgically piercing the ear wherein an aperture is formed in the ear lobe and a pin is inserted therethrough from which the decorative earring is supported. Again, this may be painful to the wearer and unless the aperture is maintained open, growth will occur which will close the aperture. Also, some persons are allergic to the initial piercing of the ear.
Still further decorative ear devices have been employed in the form of ear loops comprising a shaped wire adapted to hang from the top of the ear adjacent to the head downwardly behind the ear. In most instances, decorative beads or baubles dangle from the ends of the wire so as to show in front of the ear and at the lower or lobe portion of the ear. Such devices are usually large and do not conform to the contour of the wearer's ear shape or head contour.
The aforementioned procedures for decoration of an ear have been unacceptable to a large number of persons. Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide a novel ear decoration in the form of a clip or cuff or the like which may be supported on the structure of the ear without causing pain or deformation of the flesh of the ear and without the necessity of a surgical procedure.
Various proposals to meet this long-standing need have been suggested as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,414,382 and 2,511,170 and British Pat. No. 899,819. However, the proposed devices shown in the two U.S. patents are relatively complicated and expensive to manufacture and the devices shown in the British patent are not adjustable to fit the varying forms of wearers' ears. Hence, so far as I am aware, none of these devices has met with great wearer acceptance.